Home of the Day

We all have people in our lives who have shaped and molded us to become who we are. For me, one of those people is a former professor I had at Georgia State University when I was completing my MBA. His name was Dr. Stanley, which is how I will always know him. After I graduated, Dr. (Thomas) Stanley wrote several best-selling books, including the " The Millionaire Next Door" with William Danko.

He taught me important business lessons that I remember to this day. Here are four key pieces of advice I learned from Dr. Stanley.

1. Take action

Don't wait for everything to be in place. Dr. Stanley taught us to take action — even without all the facts — and work our tails off. He would say, “Learn as you go, and scramble." Usually you don't have all the answers in life. Keep moving forward. If and when you stumble, learn from your mistakes, get up, and go at it again. Proceed even with insufficient knowledge and correct as you go.

2. Be the “go-to” person

Dr. Stanley taught us to be the person who knows others and is the resource people turn to for help. You don't have to be a dentist, real estate agent or stockbroker. You should know people who are excellent in important areas so you can recommend them to others. Be the resource that knows the right people and creates a desire for people to know you.

3. Have fun

Business is meant to be fun. For Dr. Stanley’s class, we had a big presentation to make as part of our overall grade. I remember preparing extensively for it. I'll admit I was a bit nervous presenting, but Dr. Stanley set a tone that made the assignment and the class fun. He inspired me to continue speaking after graduation, and years later, I was inducted into the Professional Speaker Hall of Fame. Thank you, Dr. Stanley, for your inspiration and help.

4. Continue learning

Dr. Stanley’s final words of advice to me were to keep learning every day. He encouraged me to continue to read good business literature on a regular basis. It is imperative to saturate our minds with good books and news from sources like The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Business Week, Fortune, and the Business Journals. The discipline to continue to learn will give you a competitive advantage. It helps keep your mind fresh and alert. This is vitally important in a hotly competitive world.

Terry Brock gives real-world, practical tips on how to generate revenue and increase productivity. He works with businesses from sole proprietors to Fortune 10 companies, teaching them how to use social media, technology and plain ol' stuff that works. He's the co-author of the best-seller “Klout Matters” on social media. Brock is an international Speaker Hall of Fame member and sports a very good haircut! You can reach him at 407-363-0505 or TerryBrock.com. Catch his latest TEDx talk at bit.ly/1MeRzt4